Lovers of literature know that having a book signed by a favorite author is something truly special. How do you sign an e-book though Hopefully not with ballpoint.

Barnes & Noble is set to debut a new feature for the Android-equipped Nook Color e-reader that lets authors digitally sign their e-books using a stylus.

Writer and illustrator Sandra Boynton will be one of the first authors to host an e-book signing, and it's scheduled for Barnes & Noble's Upper East Side store in New York City (7 p.m. on Monday, May 2). The event will promote the digital version of her classic children's book "The Going to Bed Book." (In keeping with the book's theme, Boynton suggests both adults and children arrive in their pajamas' I'll be the one in the "Brilliant!" Guinness flannels.)

Other e-readers, such as the Sony Reader, already make it possible to write on pages. There is also a company named Autography that carries a patent for "inserting an autograph or other salutation into an e-book."

Despite the existing technology, though, the phrase "e-book signing" hasn't hit the mainstream. It's an interesting play from Barnes & Noble, a company that's redefining itself as paperback sales continue to dwindle due to increased competition from Amazon's Kindle.

A representative for Boynton also confirmed that B&N is looking to expand the option to other e-books in the future. Hopefully marathon book-signing sessions with a stylus will be less carpal-tunnel inducing than those conducted with a pen.